video | unseelie

[extramural]

[ The locket, as always, is held up in mid-air when the Outsider turns it on. He is not alone in this recording, though; behind him are four women in long, gauzy black dresses and veils. With them are several children, eyes all black; the women are gently ushering them along the shore of the beach behind them while two massive dogs run back and forth.

In the distance is the black line of the Void, creeping over the ocean.

Next to the Outsider is another one of the children, and next to him the resemblance is clear: the same eyes, the same curious tilt to the head, the same bony cheeks. The child looks a bit more fey, but he sticks close to his sire, hands clutching to his arm. ]

Do not harm the children, [ the Outsider begins, and his voice is cold, shows every century of age and power. ] Do not harm the children or we will use your blood and bones, and you will be lucky if you are dead when we start.

[ A large palm smooths over the hair of his son. A daughter comes up on the other side, humming. She smiles at him and her teeth are sharp and red. The Outsider leans in so she can murmur in his ear. ]

Ah, yes. Should anyone find themselves with a need to desecrate shrines further -- the same warning applies to you. I will know, should you touch one of mine.

[ His daughter giggles and takes the hand of his son, and the two go to join the others. The Outsider watches, head half-turned. A seagull swoops down and perches on his shoulder, ruffles its wings, and the feed ends. ]

Comments

[extramural]

It is hardly the first time.

[ Still, he won't refuse the help. That Loki is looking for information is far more interesting, and he lifts a finger. One moment.

The two children with him are gathered close, murmured to. Each one has a stroke to their hair and then they're running off toward the others, one of the large wolfhounds bounding over to run with them.

The Outsider turns back to the locket. ]

I'm interested.

[selfimage]

[ getting in good graces is also part of the goal.

he waits for the children to go. ]

The the next question is simple. Would you protest to a visitor?

[extramural]

Not at all.

[ There may be some tension on behalf of the dogs and the Maidenfish and some of the children, but. Eh. ]

[selfimage]

Put on the tea, I'll be joining you shortly.

[ he sounds all too enthused about it, too. ]

[extramural]

There is a ship. The Voidwalker.

[ Because he assumes Loki actually wants tea, and that's where he keeps his shit. ]

I will meet you there.

[selfimage]

Sounds ominous. Be there in ten.

[ time for two chaos gods to meet over tea. ]

[extramural]

[ The ship is small but sturdy, built to handle both the rough storms of the sea and the slender curves of a river. His mark is on the sails and there are runes of his world etched in the wood, bone charms dangling over doorways. Sea life seems drawn to it, seabirds perching on board and a fat seal with her pup basking on deck.

The Outsider's tea set was a gift and while he doesn't tend to eat or drink, he finds that he likes it. One of the Maidenfish lingers with him, having pulled out two chairs and a table, keeping an eye on her lord. The others remain with the children, picking for debris along the shore. ]

[selfimage]

[ Loki arrives in the snap of a second, and the first thing he notices is the smell of salt and the sound of waves. it's been a while since he's been this far out to sea, but he remembers, and with it brings a the ghost of foreign feelings accompanied by the memories bound to them. he brushes them away with a wave of his hand and heads down deck quietly, but making enough noise to announce his presence to those that didn't already know of it. ]

Oh, hello.

[ he addresses the Maidenfish with a quirk of his head. ]

I like the set-up.

[ that sure is a teapot. ]

[extramural]

[ The Maidenfish doesn't speak, but she bobs her head and smiles. There are sharp teeth behind her veil, her nails long and sharp, and she is eerily graceful; as though swimming on land.

She pulls out a chair for him. ]

I do not eat often, [ the Outsider informs Loki. ] But there is tea, and biscuits.

[selfimage]

[ Loki gives her a flirty little wave in response before seating himself.

then, a wide-eyed blink of surprise. ]

You even brought out the biscuits.

[ he says like he's been here a million times before. ]

[extramural]

I do, on occasion, have guests.

[ All of them are weird, but that's to be expected. ]

[selfimage]

I suppose said guests do expect biscuits.

[ wow, thanks for making him feel weird. ]

So—you seem the down-to-biz type, shall we?

[extramural]

[ you're welcome :D

The Outsider extends a hand, waves it. Go ahead, Loki. ]

[selfimage]

[ well, he supposes he'll just have to be mother. off he goes pouring tea. ]

You've experienced the shrines of yours being defaced while this Void closes in around us. I have to wonder if you've seen the same visions. The ones of the Gods' War.

[ usually there's a little more flair to his words, but he figures that when addressing the Outsider that he'd be best with something a little more concise. ]

[extramural]

[ Good thing too, because the Outsider is really bad at being a good host. Especially if something else has his attention. ]

The thinning of senses, the feeling of the End? Yes.

[selfimage]

So we've had mutual experiences. And it's not just us.

[ he says, as if it's almost a question, looking up at him. ]

There are others who share much of the same.

[extramural]

That is not a surprise. We felt each other, after all.

[ He sounds a bit bored, as if he's not quite sure just what Loki's point is. ]

[selfimage]

Aye, so we have.

But even such visions originate from somewhere. There's a domino to be pushed and fate to be followed. I wonder if the visions strike the beginning of this Godswar, or if we're meant to follow them because they were given to us, much like fulfilling a role in a story.

Tell me, what do you think about it? I've spent far too long in conflict with the divine to simply sweep myself into it again.

[extramural]

There are always choices. The unexpected is what I am drawn to, and it is the unexpected that I will attempt to do. I imagine that we will be involved in the conflict simply by nature of what we are, but that does not mean we cannot do more with it.

[ He trails a finger over the teapot, not bothered by its warmth. ]

In my world, I am the only god, at the moment. I see everything. I see forever. I can predict almost every outcome. But here-- I am without that, here. I am placed in a role I have not been in for over four thousand years.

[selfimage]

[ Loki listens, his legs crossed at the knee, his ankle twitching as if he has to move. the last sentence forces him into stillness, and his voice drops from the playful tone to something else. ]

I've been ... trapped.

[ a finger touches the rim of his tea cup, tracing it absently as he speaks. ]

Whether it be here or there. The universe defaults to patterns, and my place is within it as something I'm not. It's like a terrible irony ... god of chaos, the role of the god of chaos. Then throw in the whole maddening expectancy of the unexpected.

[ he puffs a bit. ]

Yet I can't help but feel that we're being toyed with.

[extramural]

The unexpected is hardly expected, in my own world. I have spent a great deal of time being bored in the last four thousand years, until I arrived here.

[ You get how that's a problem, right Loki? ]

Toyed with. By?

[selfimage]

[ he understands, bruh.

generally being laughed at in tone with the word "Loki'd" is a little unsettling. ]

Fate.

[ the most expected thing of all. ]

[extramural]

Ah.

[ His hands come together, fingertips touching almost as if it's an afterthought. ]

How so?

[selfimage]

The universe works in cycles and patterns. [ he waves a hand outward as if to say "all of this." ] As is its preference.

And here we are at the heart of it, trying to fight against another apocalyptic instance played on multiversal levels. The Unseelie pull here, the Seelie pull there, and in the end the Void consumes us all and the Seelie can't even throw a victory party.

Any deviating from that path is met with cosmic defiance.

[extramural]

Retaliation in the form of chaos, [ the Outsider muses. ] The threat of retaliation, of what might be, enough to encourage others to go along with the cycle.

[ For the first time, he picks up his teacup and takes a sip. ]

The Void of my own world is both the beginning and the end. It would not surprise me if this one was similar.